Dry away towel rack



Feb. 14, 1961 v. G. SILVA DRY AWAY TOWEL. RACK Z Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 28, 1959 INVENTOR. VERNON G. S/L VA Feb. 14, 1961 v, s v 2,971,266

' DRY AWAY TOWEL RACK Filed Jan. 28, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. VERNON G. SI L VA VM )5 52M United States Patent DRY AWAY TOWEL RACK Vernon G. Silva, 3447 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Filed Jan. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 789,616

'1 Claim. c1. 34-151) This invention relates to fixtures and more particularly to a device for storing and drying hand towels.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that may be conveniently mounted upon a wall for supporting, storing, and drying hand towels in a 9 simple and efficient manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a towel rack having self contained drying and air circulating means for rapidly and conveniently drying hand towels used and stored therewithin.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a towel rack of the above type that is attractive in appearance, neatly stores dry and damp towels therewithin, and which can be conveniently mounted upon any desired wall, such as in a washroom, kitchen, or the like.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a towel rack bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and eflicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of a towel rack made in accordance with the present invention in operative use;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 22 of Figure 1, of the device in an open position; and

Figure 3 is a front view of the device shown in Figure. 2.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a towel rack made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a substantially hollow prismatic housing 12 having wall mounting member receiving openings 14 for securing the device upon any desired stationary wall surface. A closure 16 plvotally carried by hinges 18 upon the housing 12 provides access to the interior thereof for purposes hereinafter more fully described.

As is more clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing, a bracket assembly for retractably supporting one or more towels within the interior of the housing 12 is shown to include a pair of upright posts 20 that are slidably received through openings 22 in the ends of a transverse cross bar 24 which is slidably supported for vertical movement upon the posts 20. Compression coil springs 26 encircling each one of the posts 20 normally maintains the cross bar 24 in a raised position. Clamps or clips 28 carried by the cross bar 24 releasably secure one or more towels 30 thereon. The free ends of the towels 30 are slidably received through apertures 32 adjacent to the free edge of the closure 16, when the closure is in the closed position illustrated in Figure 1. It will thus be recognized that the ends of the towels 30, which protrude slightly outwardly through the apertures 32,

Patented Feb. 14, 1961 "ice may be pulled downwardly so as to withdraw most of the towel outwardly from the housing, during which the springs 26 compress sufficiently to enable the cross bar 24 to be lowered for this purpose.

As soon as the towel 30 is released, the springs 26 return the cross bar 24 to the raised position illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing, at which time the cross bar 24 actuates a control member 46 of an electrical control switch 48 that is electrically connected to the motor 34 of a set of fan blades 36 which rotate and circulate air through the dampened towels 30. Electrically heated elements 40 carried upon insulated blocks 41 intermediate the fan blades 36 and towel bracket assembly heat the air before it is circulated through the towels 30, to thus hasten the drying action. Fresh air is admitted to the interior of the housing 12 through louvers 38, thus providing fresh air for this purpose at all times. The moisture laden air is then discharged through apertures 42 in the closure member 16.

The operation of this device will now be readily understood. By raising the closure 16 by means of the knob 17, a pair of towels 30 may be clamped to the clips 28 upon the cross bar 24. The free ends of the towels are then extended partially through the apertures 32 in the closure member 16 as it is moved to the closed position. Whenever it is desired to use the towels, it is only necessary to exert a light outward pull thereupon to enable the cross bar 24 to be moved downwardly against the action of the compression springs 26, to extend the towel. After the towel has been used, the release thereof enables the springs 26 to raise the cross bar 24 to the initial storage position, at which time the switch 48 closes the electrical circuit through the fan motor 34 and the heater elements 40, causing heated air to be circulated through the dampened towels 30 to hasten the drying action. The switch 48 preferably includes a timer to automatically deenergize the electrical circuit after a predetermined period of time, or may include a humidity responsive switch which will enable the circuit to be deenergized only in response to a predetermined amount of humidity in the air within the housing 12.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A combined towel rack and dryer comprising, in combination, a housing, bracket means supporting a towel within said housing for retractable movement outwardly thereof, air circulating means within said housing for moving air through said towel, heater means for heating said circulated air, switch means controlling the energi- Zation of said air circulating means and said heater means, said housing comprising a substantially hollow prismatic enclosure open at the front side, a closure hingedly carried by said housing for selective movement between a normally closed position and an open posit-ion relative to said open side of said housing, said bracket means comprising a pair of upright posts secured in spaced apart parallel relationship within said housing, a cross bar slidably supported at opposite ends upon said posts, spring means normally urging said cross bar toward corresponding ends of said posts, releasable sprin clips carried by said cross bar for releasable engagement with the end of said towel, said air circulating means comprising a fan having a set of fan blades mounted upon one side of said housing, said heater means being disposed intermediate said fan blades and said bracket means, said heater means comprising a plurality of spaced a 3 apart heater elements extending across said housing intermediate said fan blades and said bracket means, said switch means being connected in circuit relationship with said fan motor and said heater element, said switch means including a trip mechanism adjacent to said one end of said posts, and said cross bar being mounted for abutting engagement of said trip element of said switch means in response to said yielding movement of said springs toward said one end of said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gruner June 22, 1909 Buschman Feb. 6, 1934 Barnsteiner Aug. 11, 1936 Roberts Apr. 10, 1945 Williams Aug. 23, 1949 Hopkins Mar. 29, 1955 

